Cinereus Shrew

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Cinereus Shrew[1]
Conservation status
Least concern (IUCN) [2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Soricomorpha Family: Soricidae Genus: Sorex Species: S. cinereus
Binomial name
Sorex cinereus Kerr, 1792

The Cinereus Shrew (Sorex cinereus), also known as the Masked Shrew, is a small shrew found in Alaska, Canada, the northern United States, and northeastern Siberia. This is the most widely distributed shrew in North America where it is also known as the Common Shrew.

Contents 1 Description 2 Distribution 3 Prey and predation 4 Behaviour 5 References

[edit] Description

It is grey-brown in colour with a light grey underside. It has a long tail which is brown on top and pale underneath with a dark tip. Its body is about 9 cm in length including a 4 cm long tail. It weighs about 5 g.

[edit] Distribution

This animal is found in humid areas and damp northern forests. Its range extends further south along the Rocky Mountains in the west and the Appalachians in the east. This species was introduced into Newfoundland in the late 1950s.

[edit] Prey and predation

It eats insects, worms, snails, small mammals, salamanders and seeds. It has a voracious appetite, even for a shrew, and can eat its own body weight in a day. Predators include larger shrews, hawks, owls, shrikes, snakes, herons, and foxes.

[edit] Behaviour

This animal is active day and night year-round. It digs tunnels but also uses tunnels created by other small mammals. It mates between spring and fall. 3 to 6 young are born in a nest under a log or in a stump. In the north, females have only one litter per year. This animal usually lives less than 18 months.

[edit] References